The holidays bring a lot of extra things into our homes. More groceries, decorations, gifts, winter gear, and maybe even a few overnight guests. And somehow, all of that needs to fit around everything we already use every day.
If your kitchen cabinets are already full, the playroom is overflowing, or your guest bedroom has become the place where everything gets dropped, adding more to the mix probably isn't going to help.
The good news is you don't need to organize your entire house before the holidays. A little planning and decluttering in a few key areas can make a big difference.
Here are six spaces worth tackling now to help your home feel more organized and easier to manage throughout the holiday season.
1. Make Room in Your Kitchen & Pantry
With holiday baking, hosting, and extra groceries, your kitchen will probably be working overtime over the next couple of months.
Start by setting a 15-minute timer and taking inventory of your pantry, refrigerator, and deep freezer. Check expiration dates, see what you already have, and make a plan to use up ingredients before stocking up for holiday meals. You might be surprised by what you find tucked away!
If you're hosting or buying extra groceries for the holidays, consider designating a temporary storage area for overflow pantry items. This could be an extra shelf, cabinet, or bin where you can keep backstock without overcrowding the food your family reaches for every day.
As you pull out holiday mugs, seasonal dishes, and baking supplies this year, think about where you'll store them after the season. If kitchen cabinet space is limited, these items don't need to take up valuable everyday storage all year.
In my own home, I store our holiday plates, cups, mugs, and cookie cutters right alongside our Christmas decorations. When the season is over, we pack everything away together instead of leaving it in our kitchen cabinets.
The goal is to keep your most accessible kitchen storage available for the things your family uses regularly.
2. Declutter Toys Before the Holiday Gifts Arrive
If you have kids, you know how quickly toys can accumulate. And with the holidays approaching, there's a good chance more are on the way.
Before new gifts arrive, spend a little time going through what your kids already own. Look for toys they've outgrown, no longer play with, or that are broken or missing pieces. When possible, get your kids involved and let them help decide what they're ready to pass along.
Donate gently used toys in good condition to places like Goodwill or other local organizations. You can also sell toys through Facebook Marketplace or local resale groups, or offer them through a neighborhood Buy Nothing group. These are great ways to pass along toys while other families look for holiday gifts. Not sure where to donate? Check out my Twin Cities donation and recycling guide for local options.
For younger kids, consider rotating toys instead of keeping everything out at once. Store some away and swap them out periodically. This can make play areas easier to manage without getting rid of toys your kids still enjoy.
And if you're already feeling overwhelmed by the number of toys in your home, consider asking family members to gift experiences instead of more stuff. Museum memberships, activity passes, classes, or tickets to a special event can be great alternatives.
You don't need to clear out the entire playroom. Even working through one toy category or storage bin can help make room for what's coming.
3. Rotate Your Winter Gear Before the Cold Sets In
Living in Minnesota means a lot of seasonal clothing. Between winter coats, snow pants, boots, hats, and mittens, entryways and closets can fill up quickly.
If you're working with limited storage space, rotating seasonal clothing and shoes is one of the easiest ways to free up room. Pack away summer shoes, lightweight jackets, and anything your family won't need again until spring. Store these items in labeled bins or another designated storage area until it's time to swap them back.
As you make the switch, take a few minutes to go through everyone's winter gear. Check what still fits, what needs replacing, and what you can donate. Don't give valuable closet space to coats and boots your family has outgrown.
Next, think about how your family uses the space every day. Keep frequently used winter gear easy to grab and just as easy to put away. For kids, that might mean lower coat hooks, a basket for hats and mittens, or a designated spot for boots.
And don't forget about the extras! Store backup mittens, snow pants, and less-used winter accessories separately so they don't compete with the things you reach for every morning.
IKEA DIMPA Storage Bag
A simple, budget-friendly solution for storing out-of-season clothing, extra bedding, or other soft items. The clear design lets you see what's inside, while the zipper keeps everything contained.
Shop the IKEA DIMPA Storage Bag →
Photo Credit: IKEA
4. Edit Your Holiday Decorations as You Decorate
If you're someone who starts decorating for Christmas in early November, now is a good time to think about what you actually want to display this year.
Before pulling out all your holiday decorations, put away some of your everyday decor to make room for seasonal pieces. Swapping decorations instead of adding more to every shelf and surface can help your home feel festive without feeling cluttered.
As you unpack, pay attention to what you're actually using. Are there decorations you've been storing for years but never put out? Items that are broken or no longer fit your style? You don't need to keep every ornament, decoration, or knickknack just because it was a gift. Keep the things you truly love and enjoy displaying.
And if you like adding a few new decorations each year, make a point to edit what you already own. Otherwise, your collection (and the amount of storage it requires) will keep growing.
It's also a great time to evaluate how you're storing everything. Keep decorations for each holiday together rather than mixing them across bins. This makes it much easier to find what you need without digging through other seasons' decorations.
Are your ornaments protected? Do you spend time untangling lights every year? Note storage products that could make things easier, such as ornament organizers, light reels, or stackable bins. You don't necessarily need to buy them right away, but having a plan means you'll be ready to pack everything away more efficiently when the holidays are over.
Sterilite Ornament Storage Box
Keep holiday ornaments organized and protected season after season. This stackable storage bin holds up to 45 ornaments, with individual compartments to keep decorations separated and a clear base so you can easily see what's inside.
Shop the Sterilite Ornament Storage Box →
Photo Credit: The Home Depot
5. Organize Your Gift-Wrapping Supplies
Before buying more wrapping paper, gift bags, ribbon, or tape this holiday season, take inventory of what you already have. You might be surprised by how many half-used rolls of wrapping paper, gift bags, and leftover supplies you've accumulated over the years.
Gather everything in one place and sort through it. And let's talk about that growing collection of gift bags. Be honest: do you really need 47 gift bags each year? Keep your favorites and a reasonable amount for the gifts you actually give each year. Donate the rest to a local Buy Nothing group so someone else can use them. Make a point to use up older supplies before purchasing more.
Next, create a designated spot for all your gift-wrapping supplies. You don't need a dedicated wrapping station or an elaborate setup. A closet shelf, storage bin, or portable organizer works just as well, depending on your space.
Keep wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue paper, ribbon, scissors, tape, and gift tags together so you don't have to search for supplies every time you wrap a gift.
If storage space is limited, consider an under-bed gift-wrap organizer or a slim storage bin you can tuck into a closet. The goal is to make everything easy to find when you need it and just as easy to put away when you're finished.
Hearth & Harbor Wrapping Paper Storage Organizer
Keep wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, and gift-wrapping essentials organized in one convenient place. This zippered storage organizer keeps supplies contained between holidays and tucks easily into a closet or storage space.
Shop the Wrapping Paper Organizer →
Photo Credit: Target
6. Get Your Guest Bedroom Ready for Holiday Visitors
If you're hosting overnight guests this holiday season, now is a good time to take a look at your guest bedroom.
Guest bedrooms can easily become a dumping ground for things we don't know what to do with. Extra clothes, donations, paperwork, and items waiting to be put away can quickly take over a room you don't use every day.
Start by clearing out anything that doesn't belong in the guest room. Instead of moving everything into another closet or storage area, take a moment to decide what needs to stay, what can go, and where the rest should live.
Next, make sure your guests have space for their belongings. Clear a little room in the closet, leave a few empty hangers, and make space on a nightstand or dresser. Make sure extra blankets and pillows are easy to find.
You don't need a perfectly styled guest bedroom. A clean, comfortable space where guests can unpack and settle in is what matters.
A Little Organizing Now Can Make the Holidays Easier
The holidays are busy enough without constantly searching for things, moving piles around, or trying to figure out where everything belongs.
You don't need to tackle every space on this list. Start with the areas that frustrate you most. Even a few small changes can make things easier to manage as the season gets busier.
If you've been putting off a bigger organizing project, or simply don't have time to tackle it yourself, I can help.
At White Space Organizing, I help busy families declutter, organize, and create functional spaces that work for the way they live. From planning and sourcing products to hands-on organizing, I handle the details so you don't have to.
Have a space you'd like to get organized before the holidays? I offer complimentary consultations in Maple Grove, MN, and the surrounding Twin Cities West Metro. Let's talk about your space →
